The Capital Markets Fact Book (2024)

Capital markets recognize and drive funds to the best ideas and enterprises. Coupled with the free flow of capital, innovation is an integral component of job creation, economic development, and prosperity. Markets facilitate the transfer of funds from those who seek a return on their assets to those who need capital to expand.

Clients benefiting from healthy capital markets include not just individual investors but also institutional investors, governments, and corporations. Capital, raised through equity and debt, can be used to grow businesses, finance investments in new property, equipment, technology, and fund infrastructure projects. This funding creates jobs and pours money into the economy. Additionally, individuals and businesses can invest in securities to generate wealth.

The SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book is an annual reference containing comprehensive data on the capital markets, investor participation, savings and investment, and securities industry.

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Fact Book Highlights

Section 1 – Global Capital Markets

Global fixed income markets outstanding decreased 3.2 % Y/Y to $129.8 trillion in 2022, while global long-term fixed income issuance decreased 17.5% to $22.5 trillion.

Global equity market capitalization decreased 16.2% Y/Y to $101.2 trillion in 2022, as global equity issuance drops to $0.4 trillion, a decrease of 61.2% Y/Y.

U.S. gross activity (purchases and sales) in foreign securities increased to $53.3 trillion in 2022, an increase of 1.0% Y/Y, while foreign gross activity in U.S. securities shrunk to $123.2 trillion, a decrease of 2.7% Y/Y in 2022.

Section 2 – U.S. Capital Markets

In 2022, U.S. Treasury securities issuance dropped to $3.8 trillion, a 25.5% decrease from the prior year. Long-term fixed income issuance declined 34.2% Y/Y to $8.9 trillion. Mortgage-backed securities (MBS) issuance decreased 53.2% Y/Y to $2.1 trillion, while corporate bonds fell 31.0% Y/Y to $1.4 trillion. U.S. long-term municipal bond issuance decreased 19.2% Y/Y to $390.8 billion, and asset-backed securities issuance volume decreased to 48.0% Y/Y to $302.8 billion. Federal agency securities increased 19.9% Y/Y to $830.9 billion.

Initial public offering (IPO) volume1 was $8.5 billion, down 94.4% from the previous year. Secondary, or follow-on, offerings totaled $78.5 billion, down 64.8% Y/Y. Total equity issuance, including common and preferred stock, totaled $99.4 billion in 2022, a 77.1% decrease Y/Y. Announced U.S. merger and acquisition (M&A) deals totaled $1.6 trillion in 2022, a 42.6% Y/Y decrease, while the value of completed M&A deals decreased 37.5% Y/Y to $16.9 trillion.

U.S. stock markets – in terms of index prices – fell in 2022 from record highs in 2021: the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) fell 8.8% Y/Y, ending the year at 3,147.25; the S&P 500 closed 2022 down 19.4% Y/Y at 3,839.50; the Nasdaq Composite decreased 33.1% Y/Y to close the year at 10,466.48; while the Russell 2000 fell 21.6% Y/Y to end the year at 1,761.25. In 2022, the average daily trading volume for equities was 11.9 billion shares, an increase of 4.1% Y/Y.

Section 3 – U.S. Investor Participation

Federal Reserve Board data showed the value of U.S households’ liquid assets decreased 11.0% Y/Y to $58.6 trillion. Of the total liquid assets held by U.S. households, 45.0% were in equities, 25.3% in bank deposits and CDs, and 16.5% in mutual funds, with the remaining 13.2% split between U.S. Treasury securities, agency and GSE securities, municipal bonds, money market funds, and corporate bonds. The latest data shows that 52.6% of households own equities.

Section 4 – Savings & Investment

The total value of U.S. retirement assets decreased 8.7% Y/Y to $41.8 trillion in 2022. Total pension assets went down by 11.0% Y/Y to $11.9 trillion, while assets held in individual retirement accounts (IRAs) decreased 17.4% Y/Y to $12.0 trillion. Of total U.S. retirement assets, 27.5% were in IRAs, followed by 28.4% in private pensions (defined benefit and contribution plans).

Section 5 – U.S. Securities Industry

The number of FINRA registered broker-dealers decreased 0.5% Y/Y to 3,378 in 2022.

Gross revenues for FINRA registered broker-dealers totaled $350.5 billion in 2022, a decrease of 12.1% Y/Y, while total expenses increased 0.4% Y/Y to $308.2 billion. As such, pre-tax net income fell to $42.3 billion in 2021, a decrease of 53.8% Y/Y.

National securities industry employment reached 1,073,500 jobs in 2022, an increase of 4.2% Y/Y.

About the Report

The SIFMA Capital Markets Fact Book is an annual reference containing comprehensive data on the capital markets, investor participation, savings and investment, and securities industry. The Fact Book amasses data from dozens of sources into a single, easily accessible reference tool to analyze key industry statistics.

Credits

SIFMA Research

Katie Kolchin, CFA, Director of Research
Justyna Podziemska
Daniel Hadley

Downloads

Historical Fact Books

  • 2022 Fact Book

  • 2021 Fact Book

  • 2020 Fact Book

  • 2019 Fact Book

  • 2018 Fact Book

  • 2017 Fact Book

The Capital Markets Fact Book (2024)

FAQs

What are the main points of the capital market? ›

Capital markets are financial markets that bring buyers and sellers together to trade stocks, bonds, currencies, and other financial assets. Capital markets include the stock market and the bond market. They help people with ideas become entrepreneurs and help small businesses grow into big companies.

What is interesting about capital markets? ›

Capital markets are a very important part of the financial industry. They bring together suppliers of capital and those who seek it for their own purposes. This may include governments that want to fund infrastructure projects, businesses that want to expand, and even individuals who want to buy a home.

What is capital market in a nutshell? ›

The capital market is where companies go to raise financial capital (money) in general. The stock market is exclusively where investors trade stocks (shares of ownership in publicly traded corporations). Companies can raise money on the capital market by selling shares of stock in the company or by issuing bonds.

What is the capital market theory? ›

Capital market theory makes reference to multiple forms of analysis that aim to predict the value of securities and the flow of supply and demand in the market.

What are the two main types of capital markets? ›

Capital market consists of two types i.e. Primary and Secondary.
  • Primary Market. Primary market is the market for new shares or securities. ...
  • Secondary Market. Secondary market deals with the exchange of prevailing or previously-issued securities among investors.

What are the three functions of capital market? ›

Key functions of the capital market include raising capital, linking buyers and sellers, facilitating economic growth, and inter-temporal consumption smoothing.

What are the problems with capital markets? ›

Problems with Capital Markets. Although capital markets are crucial to the modern economy, they can fuel misinformation, greed, and economic downturn. These consequences are often perpetuated by businesses and investors using incentives, which can greatly influence the market.

How do capital markets make money? ›

The capital markets allow companies and governments to raise money by issuing securities for investors to buy in the form of stocks and bonds. The “capital” generated is then used to finance new research and development projects and build infrastructure and investments that can drive economic growth and productivity.

What are the pros of the capital market? ›

Capital market – Advantages
  • Money moves between people who need capital and who have the capital.
  • There is more efficiency in the transactions.
  • Securities like shares help in earning dividend income.
  • With the passage of time, the growth in value of investments is high.

What is a capital market for beginners? ›

Capital markets primarily feature two types of securities: equity securities and debt securities. Both are forms of investments that provide investors with different returns and risks and provide users with capital with different obligations.

Why do you need capital markets? ›

Capital Markets allow businesses to raise long-term funds by providing a market for securities, both through debt and equity. Capital Markets offer a whole range of sometimes complicated products which allow businesses and banks not just to raise capital but also to hedge (or protect) against risks.

What are capital markets simplified? ›

Capital markets are a way to bring together individuals or institutions with money (also known as capital) they wish to invest, and various entities that seek money to underwrite costs to meet specific purposes.

What is the capital market hypothesis? ›

Key Takeaways. The efficient market hypothesis (EMH) or theory states that share prices reflect all information. The EMH hypothesizes that stocks trade at their fair market value on exchanges. Proponents of EMH posit that investors benefit from investing in a low-cost, passive portfolio.

What is the difference between money market and capital market? ›

Money market is for short-term liquidity, while the capital market is for long-term investments. Money market instruments are highly liquid but less risky compared to capital market instruments. Key differences include duration, liquidity, risk, and participants.

What is the theory of perfect capital market? ›

A perfect capital market requires the following: that there are no taxes or transaction costs; that perfect information is freely available to all investors who, as a result, have the same expectations; that all investors are risk averse, rational and desire to maximise their own utility; and that there are a large ...

What are the key points of capital structure? ›

Capital structure refers to the amount of debt and/or equity employed by a firm to fund its operations and finance its assets. A firm's capital structure is typically expressed as a debt-to-equity or debt-to-capital ratio.

What are the basic elements of capital markets explain each? ›

Elements of a Capital Market

Fund-seekers include companies, entrepreneurs, governments, etc. For example, to fund the economy and development projects, the government issues bonds and deposits. These markets usually trade long-term investments such as stocks, bonds, debentures, and government securities.

What are the key points of cost of capital? ›

Key Takeaways

Cost of capital encompasses the cost of both equity and debt, weighted according to the company's preferred or existing capital structure. This is known as the weighted average cost of capital (WACC).

What are the two components of the capital market ______________? ›

Types of Capital Markets

Capital markets primarily feature two types of securities: equity securities and debt securities.

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